The Case of the Cursed Corpse
by reflekshun
Summary: Who killed the Parliament member?  It may be more complicated than Holmes and Watson first thought.
1. Chapter 1

The Case of the Cursed Corpse, Chapter the First

"What?" Holmes and Watson chorused in unison.

"Yes, that's right," said Mycroft with a smug look on his face. He tried to hide it, but he wasn't that good of an actor.

"I will give you the particulars—Mrs. Leboux had finished making dinner, and had the children wash up while she called their father. Not finding him in the house, she looked in his 'tinkering shed', as it was called. He kept a workbench and his tools and was often found reading in this outbuilding. She naturally thought that she might find him there. She found the shed empty, however. As she was turning away from the shed, she saw something on the ground. As she approached it, she saw that it was the prone figure of her husband. His head was caved in by a terrible blow, and he was obviously dead. Her screams alerted a nearby constable, among others. Her sister, who lived a few doors down and had come out to see what the matter was, took the children to her house for a while. About then, the lady fainted, and was taken back inside her house to recover on the couch. After she awoke and had time to collect herself, she asked that you should look into this affair."

"Why me?"

"Before he was struck down, Mr. Leboux mentioned to his wife that if anything were to happen to him, he wanted you to look into it. He did not say why, except that he knew that you were both clever and compassionate because you helped his aunt in her hour of need."

"Why would this matter to you?"

"All right, the murdered man was a high-ranking member of Parliament. We tend to treat these cases with a bit more-"

"Indulgence, perhaps? Well, I had better tell you that I will take the case before you go into an apoplectic fit. What arrangements have been made as to where we will stay and how we get there?"

"Mrs. Porter, the murdered man's sister-in-law, insists that you stay with her, her husband, and two children."

"Children?"asked Holmes.

"Yes, brother mine. They are people who are older than infants, and younger than adults," Mycroft added helpfully.

"I know what they are. How many are there, and how old are they?"

"There are only two. Victoria is six years old, and William is five years of age. They are both outgoing children, and I think you'll like them."

"As your rooms are taken care of, I am arranging for a carriage to transport you there. There is a carriage out front to take you and the doctor back to Baker Street. Please pack for a two-week stay. I will get back to you as to when the carriage

is to pick you up."

Mycroft stood, signaling that the interview was at an end. Holmes strode out, and the doctor shook Mycroft's hand before he ran to catch up with Holmes. Holmes was standing in the hall with Hodgkins, who conducted them back the way they had come.

Their driver was waiting for them in the large room, and he held the door for them. They got to the carriage, and were given the usual "Watch your heads, gents."

After a few minutes of silence, Watson turned to Holmes. "What do you think of this case, Holmes?"

"I don't know. I cannot theorize without facts. That would be a disservice to myself, as well as my client. But it does not sound as if it would be uninteresting."

"I have noticed that anything involving children has the propensity to get very interesting." remarked Watson with a smile.

"I'll see if Anstruther can take my patients for the next two weeks."

Silence reigned in the carriage. They arrived at their destination, and their driver jumped down from his box and opened the door for them. "Mind your heads and watch your step. G'night, gents."

Holmes fumbled for his keys, and Watson handed him his set. Holmes opened the door to reveal Mrs. Hudson sitting on the steps. She held Holmes' keys out to him. "You left them in the door again. Now come on in and have a decent meal while you have time to enjoy it. Go wash up, and I'll bring up your dinner."

Watson took one sniff, and his stomach reminded him how hungry he was.

He loved it when Mrs. Hudson made lamb chops, it had such a wonderful aroma-

Holmes and Watson exchanged glances, and broke into a race up the steps. Watson won. As he opened the door, he spied a telegram on the table. It was from Mycroft, telling them both that the carriage would be there to pick them up at 12.30 the next day.

Just then Mrs. Hudson entered with a large tray that she put upon the table. She then began to arrange the dishes and cutlery. She put out lamb chops, potatoes, green beans and biscuits. "I see you have found the telegram. All right. I'll be back for the dishes. I hope you both enjoy this."

She left, and they did enjoy the meal. After they had put the important business of eating behind them, they headed for their pipes and favorite chairs. They had only been seated for a moment when Mrs. Hudson came back for the dishes. She had a tray with her. It had a bottle of sherry and three glasses on it. She filled all three, and turned to the two men. "I thought that it would be appropriate to raise a glass to another

case well done, and another one beginning."


	2. Chapter 2

The Case of the Cursed Corpse, Chapter the Second.

A/N Many thanks to those who took the time to read, review, or favorite. I just hope that you had as much fun reading this as I had writing it. Have some virtual cookies!

Watson woke up and looked at the ceiling. He got out of bed and started to get ready for the day. Then he remembered that Anstruther was taking care of his patients for the next two weeks. He dove back in bed and snuggled under the covers. He would get up in about fifteen minutes, but for now, he was gloriously warm.

As he was descending the stairs to the sitting-room, he heard Holmes stirring in his room. He had settled himself at the table when Holmes came out and sat down also. Mrs. Hudson had put together quite a breakfast for them. She must

have heard the doctor moving around, and brought up their tray.

Watson looked on at the eggs, bacon, biscuits,sausage, jelly and jam, tarts, and coffee. Again his stomach sang the culinary praise of his landlady.

Holmes noticed the cup of coffee that Watson had poured for him. He looked up and favored Watson with a smile.

"Thank you. Are you ready for this, old man?"

"Never better. Are you all packed and ready?"

"Yes. And you?"

"Packed last night. Here is the newspaper. I need to step out for a bit, but I should be back in plenty of time to meet the carriage."

"What shall I say if you are late?"

"Just tell the driver to wait while I attend to the needs of my paying clients."

With a grin, Holmes left the sitting-room and left Watson to enjoy the newspaper.

The doctor had started off reading the paper, but he must have dozed off. Watson looked at the clock upon the mantel. It read 12.25 and still no Holmes. Mrs. Hudson came up to say goodbye. She also pressed a package into Watson's hands.

Watson was waiting for the carriage driver, the same driver as yesterday to put the last piece of luggage in place, when saw Holmes running up Baker Street. He breathlessly got in beside the good doctor, who could not resist.

"I thought you were going to be back in plenty of time."

"Well, it all worked out, did it not?"

"Yes, I suppose it did. Oh, by the way, gave us something for the road ahead. I have not unwrapped it yet."

As Watson did so, a wonderful aroma rose from the box.

"Lamb sandwiches! And-and there are tarts here, too! And a couple of sausage sandwiches! Oh, that woman is so thoughtful..."

"Yes, she is, at that. We must do something special for her, Watson. She really is a gem."

"Watson, did you think to pack your revolver?"

"Yes, I did. Why, do you think that there will be a need for it?"

"No, I have no idea what to expect. But it is good to know that it is handy if there should be a need for it. However, do not let my question color your observations."

"Certainly, Holmes. Holmes, look at the scenery! Is it not beautiful? I know that it may hide much deviltry, but you cannot deny that it is beautiful."

The only answer that the doctor got was a noncommittal grunt. That would have to do, for he did not open his mouth until we got to our destination.

Watson looked out of the window and enjoyed the view. After a bit, we turned down a lane that led to a modest but well-kept house. There was a woman sitting on the porch that he assumed was Mrs. Porter. Sitting on chairs beside her were two children. The woman was a blonde, and the way she wore her hair reminded Watson of Mary. She looked to be very slight and dove grey dress that she wore complemented her figure. The children were both blonde, and were smiling. The boy had on a navy outfit, and the girl was wearing a pink dress. She had pink bows holding her pigtails, and she was wearing black slippers. The boy sported ringlets.

All three of them rose as we got out of the carriage.

Our driver had jumped down from his perch and was putting our bags on the porch. After we assured him that we could take them the rest of the way up to our rooms, he bade us a good day and hopped back up to his seat. Then he clicked his tongue, and the horses disappeared up the lane.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N- Reviews keep me going, you know. Kudos and virtual cookies to :Medcat, my superb beta,

Mrs. Pencil- I'm so glad that you liked it. Thank you for reading and reviewing and have a great week.

The Liberal Admitted- Help yourself, my dear. Your review made my day, thank you for reading and reviewing.

Sebastianfangirl101- I like those parts of the story, too. Thank you for reading and reviewing.

Werepanther 33- You are right, I am having problems with the tenses in the story, but I am trying to keep it 3rd person. Thanks for letting me know. Thanks for reading and reviewing.

and last but certainly not least, Westron Wynde- I'm glad that you liked it, and thank you for reading and reviewing.

The Case of the Cursed Corpse.

The woman and the two children came over to greet us. The woman smiled and extended her hand. The two children were right behind her, giggling between themselves.

"Hello, I am Mrs. Porter. I am pleased to meet you two gentlemen. These are William and Victoria, my children. My husband is at work, but will join us for dinner. Please make yourselves at home. Dinner is at 6.30. I hope that you like mutton."

The children began to bombard the doctor and the detective with questions, but their mother intervened.

"Children, the gentlemen are tired from a long trip, and need to rest a bit and refresh themselves. Your questions will have to wait until dinner. Run along now, dears."

She waited until the children ran off, and then said to Holmes and Watson, "They are quite energetic, are they not?"

Both Holmes and Watson answered at the same time with a heartfelt "Yes, they are."

Mrs. Perry laughed. "I will show you to your rooms. Can you manage your bags?"

She showed them to a set of rooms on the second floor.

"I'll call you when dinner is ready. Welcome to our home."

She turned and went back downstairs, leaving them to their own devices until supper.

Holmes and Watson took their bags into their room and sat down on the twin beds. They exchanged glances.

"I wish that I had half the energy as those children, don't you Holmes?"asked the doctor.

"Yes, I do. I have had energy like that in the past, but you don't want me to use those means to obtain it."

"Holmes!" hissed Watson. "I doubt that they are under the influence." He chuckled at the thought. Holmes thought that Watson's laughter was one of the best sounds on earth.

They both lay down to rest for just a bit, and woke up when they heard a knock at the door.

"Dinner is in fifteen minutes, gentlemen. I hope you are hungry."

The voice was not that of Mrs. Porter. Watson thought that it must be the maid. He was proven correct a few minutes later, when they stepped out into the hall. She was just putting away her duster and turning to escort the men downstairs.

"I am Miss Carpenter, the maid. If you need anything, just let me know, and I will do what I can to accommodate you."

She looked at Holmes and Watson. "I understand that you are here to look into the unfortunate death of Mr. Leboux. If there is anything that I can do to help you, please let me know. He was kind to me, and I would like to repay that kindness."

"I see,"said Holmes. "And how was Mr. Leboux kind to you?"

The maid blushed when she realized the implications of her words. "He lent me books that he thought I would be interested in. And he always had a kind word to say. He was nice that way."

"How would you describe Mr. Leboux?" Holmes asked.

"Well, other than kind, he was also generous. That used to be a sore point between him and the missus. She used to tell him "Jean-micheal, you would give the shirt off your back to help someone, but one of these days you are going to run out of shirts." said the maid. "He would laugh and say "Then I will go out and buy more, my dear."

"Were there any other sore points that you know about between Mr. Leboux and his wife?"asked Watson.

"Yes, there are, but since we are expected at the table, would I be able to tell you later?"

"Yes, yes, of course," replied Holmes. "We will talk later, then."

"Thank you. Now, if you gentlemen will follow me, I'll show you to the dining room."


	4. Chapter 4

The Case of the Cursed Corpse, Chapter the Fourth.

Many thanks to my awesome beta, Medcat.

To those who read and reviewed:

Mrs. Pencil- I am glad that you liked it, and thank you for reading and reviewing. Have a terrific week!

Westron Wynde- I am happy that it was enjoyable. Yeah, they are kind of energetic, are they not? Thanks for reading and reviewing.

The Liberal Admitted-Thank you for favoriting. I hope that you enjoy this install.

Dinner was a nice affair. The food, Shepherd's pie, was a favorite. It was rather good, but not as good as Mrs. Hudson's. The cherry pie at the end of the meal was very good, rivaling the good landlady's.

At the head of the table sat Mr. Porter. He was attired in a brown suit with a tan tie. He seemed to be about forty-ish, and clean-shaven. He had brown hair and brown eyes. He also had a keen sense of humour and was almost always smiling about something. He was about as tall as Watson, and he weighed a few pounds more than Holmes.

Seated at the other end of the table was Mrs. Porter. She was in the same outfit they had seen her in earlier. She was an outgoing person, who was a socially quite active. If there was anything going on, she would probably be found somewhere around.

On one side of the table sat the children. They were excited by the presence of company from a big city, as they considered London to be.

" How do we get to be weglars?" asked Victoria, looking up at Holmes.

"I beg your pardon?" asked Holmes, with a puzzled look on his face.

"Weglars. You know, weglars." The child looked up at him as if that explained everything.

Suddenly Watson started laughing. "I think that I know what the young Miss is asking. She wants to know how she would go about being an Irregular."

"You cannot be a Baker Street Irregular. You do not live on Baker Street." Seeing the young girl's crestfallen face, Holmes continued, "You can be an Irregular for this area. If I ever have a case around here and I need your help, I will let you know. But you need to ask your parents first," he quickly added.

Their father quickly nodded his assent.

The children would have asked more questions of Holmes and Watson, but their mother told them to go and get ready for bed. Miss Carpenter went with them.

As soon as the children had left, the talk turned to the case at hand. Holmes took this opportunity to begin asking questions.

"Mrs. Porter, what happened on the day Mr. Leboux was murdered?"

"Well," replied their hostess, " let's see. I was just clearing the table and I heard my sister screaming and crying outside. I ran outside to see what was going on. By that time ,a constable had come to her aid. While my sister took the constable to see her husband's body, I took Angelique and Jean-Pierre, her children, to my house. I did not think that they needed to see their father like that. We played for a while, and then we ate our dinner. After that, the children went to bed. It was about eight-thirty when they were all tucked in, and Michael, my husband, watched over them while I went over to my sister's to see her. I stayed with her until about 12.30, and then I came home."

" I see." said Holmes. "But why were you clearing the table? Is that not Miss Carpenter's job?"

"Yes, it is. Her mother, who lives with her, was sick that day, so she stayed with her. She came to work the next day."

"Ah" said Holmes. "Mister Porter, what time did you come home from work that day?"

"I work not too far from here, and a messenger came with a telegram saying that I was needed at home at once. That was about 5.00 or so. Of course I left as soon as I got the message, which would put me here at about 5.25. As I was coming up the walk, Mrs. Leboux' maid came running up to me. She was carrying the meat that she had fixed for dinner. She said that since her mistress could not finish it all, she had asked her to bring it to our house," explained their host.

" That was really a godsend,for I did not have to cook too much." said their hostess. "I had my hands full, and any help was welcome. Poor dear, I am surprised that she was clear-headed enough to think of it, but I am very glad that she did. The constables left after I arrived, so the poor girl was not alone in her grief. She had some tea with me, talked for a while, and then said that she was tired. I saw her upstairs, and she assured me that she would be all right from there. Then she said that I should get home, for it was late."

"It is too late to intrude upon Mrs. Leboux tonight, but I think that we shall call upon her tomorrow," said Holmes.

"Do you have hopes that you can see to the bottom of this horrid affair?" asked Mr. Porter.

"Truly, I do not know enough to tell you one way or the other. Were you two close to Mr. and Mrs. Leboux?" responded Holmes.

"Yes, we were close. They came over for dinner and cards at least twice a week. The children all got along together very well, and we enjoyed each other's company."

"Ah, yes. Well, I cannot think of anything else that I need to ask. Thank you both for your candor." So saying, Holmes rose from the table.

Holmes and Watson both retired to their room. Before the fire, there were two chairs. Holmes took one and Watson sat in the other. Around a yawn, Watson asked Holmes "Well, Holmes, what do you think we should do now?"

"Possess our souls in patience and await Miss Carpenter's arrival."


	5. Chapter 5

The Case of the Cursed Corpse, Chapter the Fifth.

I owe a great big 'thank you' to Medcat, my Beta.

To all of you who read and reviewed-

Mrs. Pencil- I am so glad that you liked the last install, and I hope that you will like this one at least as much. Yes, I liked those too. Have a wonderful week.

Werepanther 33- I'm glad that the tenses improved. Thank you for reading and reviewing.

Westron Wynde- No, never. It just seemed like the right thing to do. Thanks for reading, reviewing, and alerting.

Medcat- Glad you liked it, dear.

Holmes and Watson were seated in their room, reading and waiting to see what Miss Carpenter had to say. As the clock struck 8.30, light footsteps were heard on the stairs outside their door, followed by a hesitant knock on the door. Watson opened the door, to see Miss Carpenter standing in the doorway.

"Good to see you again, Miss Carpenter,"said Holmes from his chair. "Do come in and have a seat."

She came in the room and sat down across from Holmes and Watson. "I was hoping that you gentlemen were still up. Perhaps we can continue our conversation of earlier."

"Yes, that would be very good. Watson, if you would..."

Watson obediently pulled out his notebook and pen and got ready to write.

"Now, let's see, where were we-oh, yes, Watson had just asked you if there were any other sore points between Mr. and Mrs. Leboux. Were there?"

"Well, Mrs. Leboux was constantly reminding Mr. Leboux to act according to his station. She did not like him associating with the servants, or anyone that she felt was 'beneath him'."

"By associating with, you mean...?" inquired the detective.

"Talking with them, eating or drinking with the common rabble, as she often called us. She also did not like the way he acted. He acted at home with anyone he was talking with. She figured that he ought to stick to his own class and act accordingly."

"So she would not have liked him to lend you books. Did he often do things that she frowned upon in her presence?"

"Yes, and the more she protested, the more he would make a point of doing whatever it was that she did not want him to do in the first place. I guess that he wanted to let her know that he would do exactly as he pleased."

"And was there anything else that did not sit well between them?"

"Oh, yes. Mrs. Leboux seemed to think that she should be living a different, upper-crust life since she married a prominent politician. I think she felt sort of …..cheated."

"Is there anything else that you feel that you should mention?"

"I don't think so, Mr. Holmes."

They all stood, and Watson walked Miss Carpenter over to the door.

"Thank you so much, Miss Carpenter. This is very helpful information," said the doctor.

Miss Carpenter was halfway out the door when she turned back. "Have a good night, gentlemen."

"Good night," chorused the doctor and the detective.

Watson closed the door behind Miss Carpenter. Leaning on the door, he asked "Well, Holmes, what do you think? Mrs. Leboux is appearing more and more of a suspect, don't you think?"

"I am not sure what to think. I think that it would be a good idea to meet the woman and hear what she has to say before I form any conclusions. What opinions have you come to, Watson?"

"I see the wisdom of delaying judgement, at least until we meet everyone. The only opinion that I will express is that I wish Mrs. Hudson had made that Shepherd's pie."

"It was rather dry, wasn't it?"asked the detective.

"Dry is not the word, Holmes. But I suppose our palates are a bit spoiled." said Watson.

"Yes, I suppose they are. That cherry pie made up for it, though." yawned the detective.

"Oh, yes it did. Well, I'm off to bed, Holmes."

Just then, there was a knock at the door. Watson, who had been headed to the bathroom to wash up, spun around and headed to the door without breaking stride. Holmes snickered to himself.

Watson opened the door and was met by the sight of a plate of cookies lying on a doily on the floor in the hall. Propped up by it was a sign that declared in a childish scrawl, 'ta hellp yew thimk.' Stifled laughter was retreating back toward the children's room.

"Have a cookie, Holmes? They are good." the doctor asked around a cookie.

"What have we here?"asked the detective. He took the note and smiled as he read it. Absently, he helped himself to a cookie. Watson helped him finish the plate, and then went off to wash up.

A few minutes after Watson crawled into bed, Holmes put out the candle and got into the other bed.

"Good night, Watson."

"Good night, Holmes."

Watson was soon having a lovely dream. He was at the beach, and it was nice and sunny. Watson wandered down the beach, and presently came upon a magician. The magician pulled a rabbit out of a tophat, and then disappeared in a puff of smoke. There was a lot of smoke, and at some point, Watson woke up. The smoke was still there. The house was on fire, and thick black smoke was all around. He took in as much air as he could, and yelled "FIRE!"


	6. Chapter 6

The Case of the Cursed Corpse, Chapter the Sixth.

Another big 'Thank You' to my wonderful Beta, Medcat.

Also, a ' Thank you for reading and reviewing ' for all those that did-

Mrs. Pencil -I guess it just is not in the cards for the poor man. I think that that was my favorite part to write. You know, that does sound better. She does sound bad, does she not? I am glad that you are still entertained. Have a great week.

The Liberal Admitted- I'm glad that you enjoyed it. You dance divinely.

Anonymous {}- Since you like cliffhangers, there is another one in the next chappy, just for you. Glad you liked the last one.

There was a frantic pounding at the door. Watson felt his way toward the noise. He opened the door to admit a terrified

William, who was pulling the still body of his sister by both her hair and her nightdress. The doctor pulled the children into the room from the hall, which was rapidly becoming an inferno. He backed up to make more room, and promptly ran into Holmes.

Holmes watched as Watson felt for the girl's pulse. He looked up at Holmes and nodded. "Out cold" he gasped.

He grasped Holmes' sleeve and nodded toward a full-length window. Then he pointed himself and a mattress, and then to Holmes and the children. Holmes nodded grimly.

Watson crossed to the bed and stripped the mattress while Holmes opened the window for him. Watson held the mattress in front of him, and leaped out the window. Seconds

later, Holmes jumped out after him, a child in each arm. He also had Watson's Gladstone bag suspended by the straps in his teeth. He landed on the mattress that Watson had just vacated. Watson quickly took the children out of Holmes' arms so that he could roll on the ground and put his smouldering nightshirt out.

The boy looked up at Watson with a tearstained face. "Fix'r?" he implored.

"She will wake up. She just breathed in a lot of smoke. Are you all right?"

The boy hesitantly held out his finger. It was blistered.

At that moment Mrs. Porter ran over to them , fell to her knees and embraced her son. "My baby?" she asked questioningly, looking up at Watson.

As if on cue, Victoria coughed, and opened her eyes. They became quite large when she looked over and saw the fire.

There were already people milling around. Several men had started a bucket brigade. Dimly, they could make out Mr. Porter helping them. There was still a lot of smoke around, so everyone else moved further back.

Watson heard some running feet behind him. He turned to look, and saw Mrs. Leboux. She was clutching a shawl over a pink nightdress. "Emily! Is everyone all right? Where are the children?" she asked.

"It is all right, Irene. Everyone got out, and they are all all right. Victoria passed out from breathing smoke, but she is awake now," answered Mrs. Porter.

"There is room for all of you at the house. Yvette is preparing rooms for you all. I sent Cristopher to fetch the firemen. You can stay with me until you are back on your feet. Bring Mr. Holmes and Dr. Watson with you. If there is anything else that I can do for you, you will tell me, won't you?"

She hugged her sister tightly. "Now that I know that you are all right, tell me what happened."

"I have no idea. Miss Carpenter cleaned up and put the children to bed, as usual. Then she left, after she looked in on the gentlemen to see if they needed anything. Sebastian and I retired to the parlour, where he finished his novel, and I played piano. About 9.00, we both went to bed. The next thing I remember is Sebastion telling me that we had to get out, that the house was on fire! We went to collect the children on our way, but part of the ceiling had given way, and we could not get to their room. He led me out of the house, promising that he would go back in and try to get the children. I was absolutely frantic standing there, and then the window of the gentlemen's room flew open and a mattress fell out of the window with the Doctor on top of it. Then Mr. Holmes leaped out of the window with the children! They landed on the mattress, and then Mr. Holmes put out his smoking nightshirt. Then, after Victoria awoke,and the Doctor cleaned and bandaged William's finger, the Doctor and Mr. Holmes went to help with the bucket brigade. That is when you came over."

"Oh, my dear, it sounds like you have had quite a night. Let us look for a chair, so you can at least sit down." Then she walked off, leaving her sister to follow her. Somehow, Mrs. Leboux located a chair for her sister. The children sat on their mother's lap. William was asleep in a few minutes. Victoria held out for a bit longer, but soon she was gently snoring also.

Two and a half hours later, Sebastian came over. He looked into his wife's eyes as she looked up at his sweaty, grimy face. "It is all over, my love. About half the house is still standing. We can rebuild, and no one was badly hurt. I think that we were very fortunate tonight."

Please let me know what you think.


	7. Chapter 7

The Case of the Cursed Corpse, Chapter the Seventh.

Thanks to all those who read and reviewed-

Mrs. Pencil- I am glad that you liked the rescue scene. What will they uncover, indeed. Watson finally gets some rest in this chapter. Have a great week.

Westron Wynde- Glad you liked it! Thanks for reading and reviewing.

anonymous{}-No, the kids are all right. They are too cute for anything to happen to them!

Holmes, Watson, and the Porters followed Mrs. Leboux up the hill to her house. Holmes was carrying Victoria, while Watson was carrying William. Mrs. Porter was leaning on her husband. Everyone except the children was exhausted.

Yvette met the group on the front porch. About 5 foot tall, she had green eyes, auburn hair, and a beautiful smile.

"Please come in. Tea is in the parlour, madam. The children's room adjoins your own, Mr. and Mrs. Porter. It is on the first floor. I'll help put the children to bed. Mr. Holmes, Dr. Watson, your room is on the second floor. If you would follow Christopher, he will conduct you to your rooms. Mr. and Mrs. Porter, if you will follow me, I am sure that you would like to freshen up." She took Victoria from Holmes, while Mrs. Porter relieved Watson of William. Mr. and Mrs. Porter followed her.

A tall man came over to Holmes and Watson. He was a blue-eyed blonde. His hair was slightly curly. "Hello. I am Christopher, the butler. If there is anything that you need, please let me know. Follow me, please." He started up the gorgeous main staircase. Holmes and Watson followed him. He led them down a beautifully appointed hall and stopped before a beautiful set of double doors. They entered a large room with two beds off to the side and a nice-sized sitting area which was right in front of an ornate fireplace. There was also a dresser and an armoire over by the bed. The far wall was dominated by a detailed mural of a French park. In the mural was a beautiful woman, walking a French poodle by a fountain,and in the background, there was a man sitting on a park bench.

"Is this satisfactory?" asked Christopher. "After you refresh yourselves, I will show you to the parlour. Yvette has made tea and sandwiches. Is there anything that I can get for you? No? Please ring for me when you are ready to go to the parlour."

Christopher left, and the doctor and the detective felt that they could look around. "What do you think of this, Watson?" asked Holmes.

Watson was amazed at the care that had gone into getting the room ready. On each dresser was a basin of hot water, and there was a cake of soap beside it, placed upon a towel and washcloth. Lying on the bed was a nightshirt and a dressing gown. Slippers were peeking out from under the bed.

"Oh, this water is going to feel so good." said Watson, heading to the smaller room to get washed up.

Holmes went about his own ablutions. He had just finished up when he heard a THUMP from the other room. "Watson!he called. There was no answer. He burst into the room, and saw just what he was hoping he would not see. Watson was lying on the floor. He looked up as Holmes knelt beside him.

"Don't feel quite right, old man." Then he became unconscious.

Holmes almost pulled the bellpull off of the wall.

He heard Christopher in the hall and yelled "In here!"

Christopher assessed the situation, and informed Holmes,

"I will go and get the doctor. Stay with him, please." He hit the door at a run. A moment later, Yvette came in.

"If you and I work together, we can pull him onto the bed. Then, do you think that we should loosen his clothing? I am not quite sure what we should do. Is there anything I can get while we wait for the doctor to come?"

"Yes, could you take his feet—ugh- {together they got Dr. Watson onto the bed.} I'll loosen his collar and cuffs. I cannot think of anything else that we should do, or anything to get. Do you have something to do, or are you going to wait for the doctor to come? Perhaps you could tell me a bit about him." suggested the detective.

The maid seemed to latch onto that suggestion. "The doctor's name is Dr. Leonard. He speaks his mind, but he truly cares about his patients. I think you will like him."

It seemed like forever, but finally the doctor arrived. He went straight to Watson's room, and emerged a while later.

Holmes went straight to him. "Well? What happened?"

"Well," drawled the doctor, "It appears that your friend had a heart attack. He is stable right now, and he needs to rest. You will need to make arrangements for a nurse to be with him

for a while. Here is the name of a very good nurse that I know."

At that moment Mrs. Leboux took the paper from the doctor's hand. "Please allow me to make arrangements for the nurse, and to see that she is paid. It is the least that I can do." She took her leave before Holmes could protest. Moments later, Christopher left, bound for the address on the paper.

The doctor turned back to Holmes. "You can go to see your friend. He is sleeping, and will need all the quiet that he can get now."


	8. Chapter 8

The Case of the Cursed Corpse, Chapter the Eighth.

And a great big 'thank you' to my wonderful beta, Medcat.

And to those who read and reviewed-

Mrs. Pencil—I know it is not what you had in mind, but maybe it will do for now. I'm too fond of the good doctor to do anything too serious to him.

Anonymous {}-So glad you liked it. You are quite welcome.

Sherlock Holmes fan1—Glad you asked. Thank you for reading and reviewing.

When Holmes was allowed to see Watson, the first thing he noticed about his friend was his decidedly unhealthy pallor. If he were not so pale, it would look like he was simply sleeping. Holmes sat down in the chair next to the bed. The doctor pulled a chair over to where Holmes was sitting, and joined him.

"So tell me, did your brother have this sort of trouble before?" asked the doctor.

"I think of him as my brother sometimes, but we are just good friends. And, no, I never knew about any heart trouble before."

There was a low moan from the bed. "...soap", murmured Watson, and continued to snore softly.

"Judging from your concern for this fellow, I had assumed you were his brother. My apologies."

"It is all right." said Holmes.

"You know, when I saw the address at which I was needed, I thought that Mrs. Leboux was having trouble with her heart again. This job is just full of surprises."

"Mrs. Leboux's heart is weak?"

"Yes. She has already had a heart attack, and she uses nitroglycerin for pain. You have seen the key around her neck? That is the key to her dresser. That's where she keeps it,under lock and key so that the children don't get to it." He looked over at Watson. " Well, since my patient is sleeping, I guess I should go. Make sure he does not have any upsets, and I will be back tomorrow to look in on him. If there is any trouble, please call for me at once."

" I shall do so. Thank you for your aid, Dr. Leonard. Goodnight." The detective left the doctor at the top of the stairs and went back to Watson. As Holmes got back to Watson's side, Christopher was just making up the bed he had moved next to Watson's. "I thought that you would want to keep an eye on him." was all that he said. Then he bent down to pick up the bar of soap that had fallen to the floor. He straightened up, took a few faltering steps, and then collapsed.

Holmes was kneeling next to his supine body in an instant. The servant's pulse was extremely fast, the blood rocketing through his veins at an accelerated rate. Holmes skittered to the top of the stairs. "Mrs. Leboux, has the doctor left yet?"he yelled down. "No, I was just saying goodnight at the door." The doctor charged back up the stairs, spurred on by the urgency in the detective's voice.

Together they quickly lifted the limp figure onto the bed that he had just finished setting up for Holmes.

"His pulse is very fast. What was he doing?" asked the doctor.

"He moved this bed here so that I could keep an eye on Watson. Then he started to clean up. He had just picked up that bar of soap. He took a few steps and went down. I yelled for you, and here we are."

At that moment, Christopher opened his eyes. "Wh...what happened?"

"We are trying to figure that out. Let me ask you a question,"said the doctor, handing Christopher a glass of water. " Was bringing in that bed a strain on you?"

"Not at all." answered Christopher.

"A man who is washing up using a cake of soap has a heart attack. A little bit later, the man cleaning up the scene collapses after contact with said cake of soap. I think therefore, that I should take this soap and analyze it. Do you agree, Mr. Holmes?" asked the doctor.

"Yes, I do. It is beginning to look as if Watson's heart attack was not the natural occurance that we all were led to believe it was. In that case, we all need to be very careful. How are you feeling, Christopher?" asked the detective.

"I am starting to feel better, thank you, Mr. Holmes."

The doctor started to take his pulse. He waited a minute, and then said. "

"Almost back to normal. Just a trifle elevated. I will bet my back teeth that that soap has been vetted. I'll take it back to the office and do a little testing on it. I will let you know what I find." Being careful not to touch the soap, the doctor bent and scooped the soap up from where Christopher had dropped it. The doctor wrapped the soap in his handkerchief, and dropped it into a bag that Christopher brought to him.

"Gentlemen, I think that we should keep this to ourselves. If this test says what I think it will say, we are in the presence of a murderer."


	9. Chapter 9

The Case of the Cursed Corpse, Chapter the Ninth.

A big 'thank you' to Medcat for vetting this install.

And a 'thank you' to everyone who read and reviewed:

Mrs. Pencil- Glad that you liked it! Have a good week!

The Liberal Admitted—I am glad that you liked it! But ever since I read your review, I keep seeing this scene in my dreams: It is a dark and stormy night, and I'm in an old house. Suddenly there is an eerie duh duh daaaaaaaaaa, and the door flies open. There is a crack of thunder, and a flash of lightning, revealing a cake of soap wearing a fedora in the doorway. You can just make out the DEADLY SOAP logo. Huh. Thank you for favoriting me as an author. It made my day.

Anonymous {}-You are very welcome. I thought that that was cute, too.

W.R.6597- Thank you so much for favoriting. I'm glad you liked it.

Werepanther 33- Not if they do not touch it.

Westron Wynde- Yep. Glad you liked it.

A/N—I did not think that the nitroglycerin-laden soap would actually do anything, but Medcat tells me that it might trigger a

collapse called syncope.

It was dark in the room. A ticking clock punctuated the silence. A low moan sounded, and then Watson woke up. He looked over and saw the figure of his friend. Holmes was sitting in the chair by the bed, with his feet up on the doctor's bed. He was asleep, with an afghan around his shoulders. As Watson looked at Holmes, his eyes drifted open, as though he was aware that he was being watched.

"My dear Watson," he said. "It is so very, very good to see you awake. Is there anything I can get you?"

"A drink of water would be wonderful," admitted Watson. "And then a few answers? And then some sleep."

"All right. Here is some water." Holmes held the cup to Watson's mouth for him. He took several swallows, and lay back upon the pillows, exhausted.

"Holmes, what happened? Just drinking has worn me out. I don't think I've ever...been so tired."

"I will tell you what happened, but you must stay calm. Dr. Leonard told me that I must make sure that there are no upsets, and that you need your rest, especially now. You have had a heart attack, my dear Watson. But the doctor was here, and he stayed until he felt that he could leave you. Now, you need to rest."

He did not have to say more, for he saw his friend's eyes closing. He sat by Watson's bedside for a while longer before he quietly slid into the other bed.

When Watson next awoke, the sun was streaming through the open window. The nurse that Christopher had gotten was sitting next to him in the chair by the bed.

"Morning," croaked Watson.

"Good morning. Is there anything that I can get for you? I am your nurse, Mrs. Foster. If you need anything, I'll get it for you. Mrs. Leboux kept your breakfast hot for you, I'll just nip downstairs and get it when you are ready. Would you like to freshen up first?" She crossed to the dresser and picked up a basin and some soap that Christopher had picked up in the village. She helped Watson to the chair she had just vacated and put the basin on a small table. There was also a brush, a mirror, washcloth, and a towel on the table.

"I will be just outside. Let me know when you are done with your ablutions, and I will get your breakfast for you."

"Thank you so much." Watson answered. Truth to tell, he was a little tired already, but he was too stubborn to admit it to anyone except himself.

It seemed to take a while, but finally he was all quite finished. As instructed, he called for the nurse. To his surprise, Holmes strode in with a tray a few minutes later.

"Good morning."greeted the doctor. "You have changed quite a bit, Mrs. Foster."

"Well, Watson, I see your sense of humor is making a comeback, also. Seriously, I just wanted to see you. You have been through a lot recently, and I needed to make sure that you were alright. How are you feeling today, old man?"

Watson was amazed how much of Holmes' soul the man was showing. This did not happen often, so this heart attack must have shaken him up quite a bit.

"Holmes, my memory is truly fuzzy. Can you tell me what happened after I went to wash up?" asked Watson.

"Well, I had just started to wash up, and I heard a thump from where you were. I looked over and you were lying on the floor. You told me that you did not feel well, and then you became unconscious. Yvette helped me get you in bed, and Christopher went for the doctor. It seemed like a long time until he got here. He stayed with you until you were recovered to his satisfaction, and then he told me that you had had a heart attack. He also made it clear that you need to get plenty of rest, and that I must make sure that things stay calm for you. He will be here later to look in on you," the detective explained.

"Holmes, now please tell me what you've omitted. I appreciate it, truly I do, but I am not made out of glass, and I will be alright." said Watson. He knew when Holmes was not telling him everything. It was an acquired gift.

"Watson,..."

"Please, Holmes."

"Very well, Watson." Holmes really could not deny Watson anything, especially when he asked in that pleading tone of voice. "I do not know if you had help having a heart attack."

"And what help do you suspect me of having?"

" I think that your bar of soap was doctored by putting nitroglycerin in it. This accelerated your pulse until you had a heart attack. You see, Christopher was cleaning up after the doctor saw you. He suddenly collapsed, just like you did. It was just after he picked up the soap. Of course, he was lucky, and he only had a very fast pulse for a short time, but then it went back to normal. That was when Dr. Leonard said that he wanted to take the soap and have it tested. I am sure that he will find an extra ingrediant in it,"said the detective.

"You mean you think someone was trying to murder me and make it look like a natural occurrence ?" asked Watson.

Just then, Dr. Leonard strode into the room. " Gentlemen, I have the results of the tests."


	10. Chapter 10

The Case of the Cursed Corpse, Chapter the Tenth.

A huge 'thank you' to my awesome beta, Medcat.

To all who read and reviewed, thank you very much.

Mrs. Pencil- It gets better. Yes, that touched my heart, too.

After what Watson went through, I thought I'd better clarify where the soap came from.

Hades Lord of the Dead- I was wondering where you were, glad you are back online. Also glad that you like it.

Anonymous {}- You must be the fifth or sixth person who has commented on that. I love to write it, I think that the concern is quite sweet. They sure do have a mystery on their hands, and here are the results, just for you.

Westron Wynde O- I loved writing it, and I'm glad that you liked reading it.

The Liberal Admitted- Glad you like where the story is going. I must admit, I had not thought of killing off Dr. Leonard before he could say anything. Hmmm... Thanks. Oh, btw, what's a woobie? Sounds cute.

Dr. Leonard strode into the room and closed the door. Turning to Watson, he said "I am glad to see you awake. How are you feeling?"

"Oh, so very much better than I was. Thank you so for all that you have done for me. Now, you were saying about the test?" prompted Watson.

"Oh, yes. You were right, Mr. Holmes. The soap was impregnated with nitroglycerin. No wonder both men collapsed. Dr. Watson, someone must be very angry with you," the doctor said.

"Actually, we were just shown to the room, and we were not told which articles to use. Therefore, it could just as easily have been me," said Holmes.

"I'm very glad that it was not." acknowledged Watson. "But Dr. Leonard brought up a good point. Who would do such a thing?"

"I think that the question should be 'who could do such a thing', said Dr. Leonard.

"No, that's too obvious." said Holmes. "If I were going to do such a thing, I would not want anyone to know that I could. Mrs. Leboux is much too obvious, so that would rule her out, because someone wants people to be suspicious of her. Until we figure out what's going on, I do not think that we should mention our suspicions. Dr. Leonard, how long are you going to be looking in on Watson?"asked the detective.

"A few days, perhaps a week. It really depends on Dr. Watson." explained Dr. Leonard.

"Oh, just curious. You would not happen to have about twenty minutes or so on your hands right now, do you?"

"To do what, precisely,"asked the doctor.

"To have a cup of tea with Mrs. Leboux,"answered Holmes.

"I would love to join you," admitted the doctor.

"I shall not be present."

"What? Where will you be," asked Dr. Leonard.

"I think that someone should check to see the state of Mrs. Leboux' nitroglycerin. You prescribed it for her, did you not?"

"Yes, I did."

"And would you know how many she would have left?"

"Since it is something taken as needed, the answer would not be exact, but I could tell if a lot of them were missing, if that is what you mean."

"Yes, it is exactly what I mean."

"And how do you plan to get into the dresser without the key?" asked Dr. Leonard.

"Holmes can do wonders without keys," volunteered Watson. Holmes glared at him.

"Well,"said Dr. Leonard, rising. "I had better go and have some tea, then. I shall see you later." He looked at Holmes. "Good luck."

"Thank you. How do plan to get an invitation to tea?"

"The same way I always do. I put the kettle on, sit down by the lady of the house, and ask her how she is doing. It usually drums up some business, and I have only been thrown out by an irate maid once."

Holmes and Watson shared a glance and dissolved into laughter. "And you have called ME a cheeky bugger, Watson!" the detective laughed.

His face became more composed. This being said, gentlemen, let us each do his duty, and meet here after we are finished." Holmes and Dr. Leonard left the room together.

Watson thought he would just close his eyes for a moment. The next thing he knew, Dr. Leonard was sitting down by him.

"Well, now all we need to do is to wait for Mr. Holmes."

The wait was interminable. After what seemed like forever, Holmes came in and sat down.

"Holmes, what kept you?"asked Watson.

A red-faced Holmes admitted "I got all my facts. Where to go, what to do, and how to do it. I did, however not know that Yvette's dusting, sweeping, and bed-stripping day for milady's chamber was today. I have been bent practically double in the closet. The god who looks after foolish detectives must have heard my pleas that Yvette not open the closet door. All I could have done if she had would have been to fall out at her feet. I could look up at her only after I escaped the confines of that closet, for truly I do not think that there was enough room in there to even move my eyes."

"Oh, poor Holmes! Did you get the nitroglycerin?" asked Watson.

Holmes held up a small bottle.

"Here now, what are you doing with that?" a voice from behind him asked.

Please let me know what you think.


	11. Chapter 11

The Case of the Cursed Corpse, Chapter the Eleventh.

A huge 'thank you' to my beta, Medcat.

Also, a big 'thanks' to all who read and reviewed-

Hades, Lord of the Dead- I'm glad that you liked reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

All three men's heads whipped around at the same time, and a giggle escaped Mrs. Leboux' lips. Looking sterner, she repeated her question. "That is my nitroglycerin bottle. How did you get it from my dresser, and why do you have it?"

"I assure you that I had very pressing reasons..." Holmes began.

"Pressing enough to cause you to act in a rather ungentlemanly way? I took you into my own home, and how do you repay me? There really needs to be an accounting of this, Mr. Holmes, and I am waiting to hear it." She sat down next to the detective and looked him straight in the eyes. "Dr. Leonard, you helped to distract my attention so that he could do this. I think you need to join us. Now, what is going on?"

"If you will allow me to tell you without interrupting me further, I will do so. An attempt was made on Dr. Watson's life."

"An attempt on his life? I thought he had a heart attack."

"No, he collapsed because the bar of soap that he was using was heavily laced with ground-up nitroglycerin."

"And you thought that I had something to do with it?"

"No, actually I thought that that would be too obvious, and was attempting to rule you out. Not to do my due diligence would be not only an insult to my friend and associate, but it would be an unforgivable insult to you, since you took us in in the face of tragedy."

"Now that you tell me this...why did you not just ask me for my nitroglycerin? I would have given it to you."

"Not knowing who was the guilty party, I did not want it to slip, however innocently, to the wrong person. I thought I would get the nitroglycerin and show Dr. Leonard how many there were left. Then he could tell me if there were enough missing to have 'doctored' the cake of soap. Then, when you were cleared, I would return it. However, our plan did not get that far." He stopped and thought a moment. "Mrs. Leboux, what brought you up here?"

"Why, Yvette did. She came down and told me that she heard a strangled gasp coming from my closet. I was just coming to get you to come and look with me. Usually, I would ask Christopher, but he went to the market in town."

Watson and Dr. Leonard were hard-pressed not to chuckle or smile.

"I am afraid that I was the source of that strangled gasp. I had to hide in your closet and there was not a lot of room, however I did not think that she heard me."

"I shall tell her that a bird was caught in the closet. It has happened before when I left my window open. Now, have you had a chance to count these pills yet? There should be twenty-five left. I get thirty each month, and I have used five so far this month."

Dr. Leonard counted the small pills, and then looked up. "Twenty-five, just as there should be."

"Wonderful!"exclaimed the detective. "Madam, please accept my deepest apologies for not confiding in you at the start. I shall do so from now on..."

"No, you won't. That is why you are the detective and I am not. I want you to do as you see fit to get to the bottom of this, and that does not entail confiding in me. I am sorry that I barged in and demanded answers."

Watson had a sudden coughing fit. Dr. Leonard handed him a glass of water. As he did so, he saw one of Mrs. Foster's gloves. It was lying on the floor by Watson's bed. Dr. Leonard frowned. He did not remember seeing Mrs. Foster downstairs when he had had his tea. Come to think of it, he had not seen her since earlier this morning. At that moment, a faint moan came from underneath Watson's bed.

Holmes, Watson, and Dr. Leonard shared a glance. The next moment, Holmes and Dr. Leonard were both on the floor by the bed. Watson jerked the coverlet up, and they saw the nurse lying underneath the bed.

Together they carried the unconscious woman to the couch. Dr. Leonard felt for a pulse and found that it was rapid, but not alarmingly so. "Gentlemen, ,"he said. "It seems that our poisoner has struck again."


	12. Chapter 12

The Case of the Cursed Corpse, Chapter the Twelfth.

A great big 'thank you' to my awesome beta, Medcat.

For everyone who read and reviewed, thank you.

Anonymous {}- Glad to hear that you liked the tenth chappie. I got the review right after I submitted the eleventh chapter, so I included you here.

Westron Wynde- I got your review after I submitted the next chapter, so I put your 'thank you' in here. I am so glad that you liked it. Yes, I do enjoy my cliffies. I'm glad that you do, too.

Mrs. Pencil- Yes, he is a nice fellow, and he is fun to write. But he is also a man with a secret. Best fishes!

Hades Lord of the Dead- DUUN DUNN DUUUUUUUUN! I hope that you enjoy reading these cliffies as much as I enjoy writing them. {lightning flashes.}

Anonymous{}- I am so glad that you like my 'scribblings'.

Fight4Love- Thanks for reading, and I'm glad that you liked them.

"Yes, I think that you are correct, Dr. Leonard. Will Mrs. Foster be all right," inquired the detective.

"Well, she seems to have gotten over the worst of the episode. We will have to wait until she wakes up to see," said Dr. Leonard.

"Who could have done this to a harmless nurse? It does not make any sense to me," said their hostess.

"I do not think that we should mention that the nurse was attacked. We can say that she was found by the bed, and taken to the doctor in the village. Holmes, I think that I have an idea. I got it from one of your older cases, and I think that it might just work," opined Watson.

"What idea do you have, friend Watson?" asked the detective.

"Well, do you remember the case involving Culverton Smith, when you convinced everyone that you were dying? What if you spread the word that I had taken a turn for the worse? It would be interesting to see who would come calling to finish what they started,"explained Watson.

"That is a good idea in theory, but are you sure that it is not too ambitious a plan for you at this time? I do not want you to try it if you are not ready to, Watson," said Holmes.

"All this lying around is starting to wear me out, Holmes. I feel a little tired, but fine otherwise. I think that it is worth taking a chance. Besides, you will not be far away."

Holmes regarded his companion thoughtfully. He knew how he felt when he was forced to rest. The doctor was chafing at inactivity. Feeling sympathetic to Watson's plight, he thought that perhaps his friend had had a good idea. If nothing else, it might prove interesting.

Watson's idea was put into action during the dinner hour. Watson shuffled to the stairs, moaned convincingly, and collapsed at the top of the stairs. Nothing happened. This just would not do. How was he going to get their attention? Moaning louder, he jumped on the floor. Then he quickly lay down right by the newel post, one arm on the stairs.

The sounds of voices and the shuffling of feet came closer and finally reached the bottom of the stairs. Holmes sprang up the stairs and felt Watson's neck. Watson moaned again, softly this time.

"Oh, do stop," whispered Holmes out of the side of his mouth. "Watson," said Holmes. He looked around at the others. "Christopher, can you help me get him back in bed?" Christopher sprinted up the stairs and gently picked up Watson. Holmes went to Watson's room, holding doors as he went. He pulled back the covers on the bed so that Christopher could slide Watson into bed.

"Thank you. Would you go and get Dr. Leonard, please?"

"Certainly, Mr. Holmes." With a curt nod, the young Frenchman left.

Watson opened his eyes and asked Holmes ,"Well, how did I do?"

"Oh, you did very well, John Hammy Watson. Very well indeed."

"I thought that it was quite realistic," sniffed Watson.

"Don't be so defensive. I was just teasing with you, really. Now, tell me where I will be tonight."

"Well, right now you are going to wait with me for the doctor to get here. Then, when everyone goes to bed, you are going to secrete yourself in that wardrobe and wait to see what happens." Watson looked over at Holmes. "How did I do?"

Holmes walked over to the wardrobe. "Now I shall employ a few minutes' work with some oil on these hinges. I want to keep the element of surprise, and I do not need a rusty hinge to reveal my hiding place prematurely."

Holmes had sat down after oiling the hinges. He was in his seat almost a minute when Christopher led Dr. Leonard into the room, and left to attend to other duties.

Watson's eyes had closed the moment he had heard the door, but he opened them as soon as the servant left.

"Good evening, doctor. How is Mrs. Foster doing?" asked the detective.

"She is up and around. There does not seem to be anything wrong with her at all now, except being more tired than usual."

"Dr. Leonard, do you have any questions about your part in tonight's deception?" asked Holmes.

"No, I think I have it. I am to tell everyone that Watson has taken a turn for the worse, and is in a precarious position. Then I go back to the office, as usual."

"Correct. Thank you for aiding us in this endeavor. I believe that it may prove interesting."

Dr. Leonard went downstairs, and Holmes spoke to Watson. "Best of luck, my friend. I will be right here."

"Good luck to you, too," replied Watson.

Holmes climbed into the wardrobe and settled down to wait.

Watson was lying in bed, listening with all his ears to hear a step upon the stairs.


	13. Chapter 13

The Case of the Cursed Corpse, Chapter the Thirteenth.

To my awesome Beta, Medcat, I owe a huge 'thank you'.

To everyone who read and reviewed, thanks, and I hope you had as much fun reading this as I had writing it.

Mrs. Pencil- Yes, he is a brave soul. I am glad that you liked it. You are a real dead. Best Fishes.

Anonymous{}-Sounds like that part tickled you. Glad that you liked it.

Westron Wynde- Thank you so much. I like the phrase, too. I am so glad that it made your day. You have made mine.

The Liberal Admitted—Thank you for your wonderful review. I was kinda down, and you brightened up my day. By the way, just what did the Liberal Admit to?

Watson lay awake, listening intently. He heard nothing. Just as he was going to whisper to Holmes in his wardrobe, he heard a step upon the stair. Not a loud step, but enough to tell him that someone was on the steps. Watson hoped that Holmes had heard it, too, since he it was getting closer and he dared not whisper now. The steps grew closer and closer. Watson closed his eyes and hoped that it looked like he was sleeping.

The footsteps stopped at the door. In a moment, they resumed, and headed right for Watson's bed.

Again they halted, as if the owner of the feet were reconsidering something.

Suddenly something soft was brought down over Watson's face. A pillow, he realized. He just hoped he could hold his own until Holmes burst out of the wardrobe.

He fought against the intruder as hard as he could, but he could not manage to gain any ground. He heard a scream, and the pressure vanished abruptly.

Watson sat up and rubbed his throat. He was surprised by whom he saw.

A shadowy figure was putting a pair of darbies on Mrs. Porter.

"What on earth..." started Watson.

"My apologies for not stopping the attack upon your person. I had hoped to avoid it altogether, but I was a bit late,"

said Dr. Leonard,stepping out of the shadows. He proceeded to turn up the gas. "I trust that you are not injured, doctor."

A sudden thought occurred to Watson. "Holmes!" Watson was at the door to the wardrobe as fast as he could get there. He opened the door, and Holmes fell at his feet,unconscious.

"Holmes!" said both doctors together.

Watson felt his pulse. "He is just unconscious. He seems to be waking up. I owe you a huge debt of thanks. If you had not helped me, I shudder to think of what would have happened. Now, perhaps you can explain what is going on."

"Oh, my head..."murmured Holmes. He blinked several times. "What happened?" He made his way to a chair with Watson's help. When Holmes was seated, Watson sat down in the chair next to him. Then both men looked over at Dr. Leonard.

"I guess that by now you know that I am in your brother's employ, Mr. Holmes."

"Yes. I realized that when I saw your hat,"said the detective.

"My hat? What on earth could you tell by my hat?"

Holmes picked up Watson's hat from a nearby table. "Your

hat does not have a bulge in the side like Watson's does where he keeps his stethoscope. This tells me that you do not travel to get to your patients. It also got me wondering where the real Dr. Leonard was. A few questions told me that he was on a sudden vacation. But that does not explain why you are here."

"I was investigating the death threats that Mr. Leboux was receiving. Then he was killed, and then you were asked to look into that. I know who killed him, but why remains a mystery to me. And I am a doctor, by the way."

"Perhaps I can help you there," said Holmes. "Unless the lady wishes to speak for herself."

Mrs. Porter glared at the detective but said nothing.

"I'll just fill in the blanks for you, then. It was Mrs. Porter who killed Mr. Leboux. That was a crime of passion and opportunity. It was not planned. But then Watson and I showed up. Mrs. Porter was in too far to not try to silence us.

She panicked, and doctored the bar of soap. She was hoping to kill one of us, but she did not care which one. She would get the other one later on, when she had time to think. Her plans were upset when Watson did not die. She came here tonight to get rid of a loose end. She slipped a sleeping draught in my tea, which rendered me unconscious."

"But , Holmes, why did she do all of this?"

"Jealousy, of course. When I was in town, I asked a few well-placed questions. I learned the reason Mrs. Porter was so jealous of her sister."

"Well, don't be mealymouthed about it, tell us,"urged Watson.

"Did you know that Mr. Leboux was engaged to be married to Mrs. Porter? Then one day, her sister happened to be home when Mr. Leboux came to call. He became infatuated with her, and broke off the engagement with Mrs. Porter. Then he and the future Mrs. Leboux courted in secret.

After they were married, they told her sister. When she heard the news, Mrs. Porter was livid. However, she did not show it, and just bided her time. Mrs. Porter thought that the life that her sister was living should be hers. Then she decided that if she could not have Mr. Leboux, no one would.

She went to him and confronted him in his outbuilding. She poured out her heart to him. When he rebuffed her, she was wild with rage. She ran out of the outbuilding in tears, grabbing a hammer on her way out. He followed, thinking he could reason with her and calm her down. When he got close to her, she killed him. Then she went home, as if nothing had happened, and waited for someone to find him. I believe that you know the rest."

"But the fire, Holmes-how could she have set the fire when her own husband and children were in the house?" asked Watson.

"I did not mean for it to ever get as big as it did! I just wanted to scare you two into leaving,"cried Mrs. Porter. The fire just got too big, and..."she dissolved into tears and buried her face in her hands.

Dr. Leonard waited until she composed herself, and then he led her away. They got to the door before he stopped and clapped a hand to his forehead. "I almost forgot to give you this." He handed Holmes an envelope. "Good night." With that, he and his prisoner were gone.


	14. Chapter 14

The Case of the Cursed Corpse, Chapter the Fourteenth.

I owe a huge' thank you' to my beta, Medcat.

To all of you who read and reviewed, a big 'thank you.'

Mrs. Pencil- I am so glad that it cheered you up. Dr. Leonard is very nice, and I am glad that he was there. But until about halfway through the story, I was going to make him a spurned-lover-turned-bad-guy-who-tried-to-get-his-revenge, but then I changed my mind. Now you get to see what was in the envelope. I hope you enjoy it! Dirty dishes!

Anonymous {}-I am very glad that you liked it. Now you get to see what was in the envelope!

Hades Lord of the Dead- I am very glad that you liked it.

The Liberal Admitted—You were right to suspect Dr. Leonard at first. He was going to be the villain until about halfway through the story. Then I realized his true potential and made him one of the good guys. No, I am not going to keep you in suspense. Read on, now you get to see what is in the envelope. Thank you for the history lesson, it was very humourous in a way.

Westron Wynde – Thank you! I'm glad that you liked it, and I hope that you like what comes next.

Holmes opened the envelope. He read the letter quickly, and chuckled. "It just tells us to get packed and meet the hansom he is sending to pick us up tomorrow morning at eleven o' clock. That hansom will take us to Baker Street. Mycroft will contact us there."

"Holmes, bed will feel so much better because I do not have to worry about being murdered. Let us rest for the moment and pack tomorrow," suggested Watson.

"I agree with you. I am very tired, and I will admit that a few hours of sleep sound very good. But first, I think that there are a few questions that we need to answer."

"Yes, there are," said a voice from behind them. "And you can start with telling me why Dr. Leonard just led my sister away in handcuffs."

"All will be answered. Please sit down."

While Holmes spoke to Mrs. Leboux, Watson found Evette and asked her to make tea for them. Then he went back to his room and sat down. Holmes was finishing his story, and Mrs. Leboux was wiping at her eyes. "It is just so difficult to believe that she felt like that! And her children, oh, those poor dears!" She thought for a moment. "I know! Her family can stay here. If they want to leave when they are back on their feet, they can, but there is more than enough room here, and they are all welcome. She looked over at Mr. Porter. " What do you think?"

"Well, the children will need all the help they can get to deal with this, and they are used to it here, …...I think that it would be wonderful! Thank you so very much. I cannot tell you what this means...I'd better go and tell the children. I'm sure that that scream must have awakened them." Mr. Porter took his leave.

Evette arrived with tea and biscuits on a silver tray. Mrs. Leboux took a cup of tea and a biscuit to her room. "I must be alone and think. And the two of you have done so much! You must be tired. Get some rest and I will have Christopher wake you at nine-thirty. That way, you will have time to pack."

Holmes and Watson enjoyed the biscuits and tea, and then were very glad to climb into bed.

"Goodnight, Holmes," said Watson around a yawn.

"Goodnight, Watson," said Holmes.

The next day found Holmes and Watson waiting for the hansom. Christopher woke them at nine-thirty. They packed in time to join the family at the table for breakfast. Evette put quite a breakfast on the table. There were sausages, gravy, eggs, potatoes, plenty of toast, coffee, bacon, and pancakes.

Watson was very glad that they had time to eat. After a few bites, so was Holmes.

The hansom was right on time, and both Holmes and Watson called their good-byes to the family, who was on the porch, waving to them.

The ride back to the familiar streets and noises of London was quite uneventful. Watson watched as the landscape went by, and Holmes was sitting back, thinking. Finally, the hansom arrived at Baker Street. Mrs. Hudson was on the front stairs when they alighted from the hansom. She waved when she saw them. "I don't know what adventures you two have had, but both of you have time for a quiet pipe while I get your luncheon ready. Dr. Watson, you got a letter while you were away that looks important. The post is on the mantlepiece. My, but it is nice to have you back." Mrs. Hudson went back to her kitchen to finish making lunch. The driver, one that they had not met before, had taken their bags upstairs. He then took his leave.

Holmes and Watson went upstairs and while Holmes sank gratefully into his favourite chair, Watson was looking at the post. He found an important looking envelope and read the letter inside. It was a letter of thanks from one of his patients.

There was a knock at the door. Watson opened the door. Standing before him was a messenger. "Is Mr. Holmes in? "he asked.

"Yes, he is." Watson took the envelope and handed it to Holmes, who read it eagerly. " Fine, thank you. There is no reply."

"Right, sir. Thank you, sir." With a nod of his head, he was gone.

"Mycroft?" ventured Watson.

"Yes, he is going to send a hansom to pick us up and take us to his office again. It should be arriving here at six. He will fill us in at his office."

There was another knock at the door. Watson opened it and Mrs. Hudson entered, placing a tray upon the sideboard.

"I trust that you will enjoy your luncheon. It is good to see you again. I'm off to the market, and I will see you two later. I will not be but an hour or so."

Watson set out the dishes and began serving out. Holmes came over to sit at the table. They both ate in silence, and went to their chairs when they were done.

"I did not realize how much I missed Mrs. Hudson's cooking until just now," said Holmes. Watson nodded and chuckled.

" I wonder what Mycroft wants," mused the doctor.

"Well, we have time for a nap before the hansom is supposed to pick us up. I am a bit tired, and from the way you have been yawning, so are you," said Holmes.

"Now that you mention it, I am quite tired. A nap sounds very good. I will see you later, Holmes."said Watson, going toward the steps to his room.

Holmes headed for the sofa, and stretched out on it. He covered himself with an afghan that was on the back of the sofa.

The next thing he knew, Watson was shaking him awake.

"It is twenty to six, and Mrs. Hudson made us a nice hot cup of tea, and some biscuits. Come on, Holmes." He led the half-awake detective to the table.

They enjoyed their tea and biscuits, and then they stepped out to the street. The hansom was waiting for them, they climbed aboard, and in a few moments, the hansom had disappeared into the night .


	15. Chapter 15

The Case of the Cursed Corpse, Chapter the Fifteenth.

Anonymous {}-Now that all the loose ends are taken care of, our favorite detective and his Boswell are headed into a new adventure! I hope that you enjoy it.

The Liberal Admitted- I'm glad that you liked the way the loose ends were tucked away. I hope that you find their next adventure as enjoyable as this one was.

Westron Wynde {}- I am glad that you liked it.

Since Holmes and Watson were burning with curiosity, the ride to Mycroft's office seemed to take forever, but finally it was over. The driver hopped down and held the door for them. "Hello, gentlemen. Just call me James. Please follow me." He led them up the stairs and through the maze of halls to Mycroft's office, and held the door for them.

"Ah, yes, come in,"said Mycroft. He motioned Holmes and Watson to chairs. An aide came in and put a tray upon Mycroft's desk. He said something to Mycroft in a whisper, and then he left. Mycroft handed each man a glass of sherry and passed around a tray of biscuits.

"I understand that you had quite an adventure. I have another case for you to look into."

"This is not optional, is it?" asked Holmes.

"No, it is not, but I think that you will be interested in it," replied Mycroft. "You see, it is about a haunted castle."

"Mycroft, you know that I do not believe in ghosts. Why do you think that this case would interest me?"

"Well, we are at a loss to prove how the castle is being haunted, and by whom. We have had the place investigated, but to no avail. Now we want you to make an attempt. I think that it would be a matter of professional pride for you. Now, let me tell you about the case. One of our agents received a letter telling him that he had been bequeathed a castle by a wealthy uncle that he had never met. It also told him that he had to spend the night in the castle, and that he could pick two people to accompany him. No more than two, or he would forfeit the castle. The agent would like you and Dr. Watson to be those two people. What do you say, Sherlock?"

"I say that it is a good thing that this case DOES capture my interest, for, as you say, it is mandatory. Now tell me, brother mine, what are the legends that surround this castle?"

"At the moat, a young girl is seen. You see, long ago, she and her beloved were to meet by the moat and run away. She kept the appointment, and waited several hours for her sweetheart. The maid's father had found out about this tryst, and had the girl's lover killed. The girl developed pneumonia from being exposed to the chill night air, and they say that she died from it not too long after. She is often seen at the moat, looking for the lover that will never come to her.

"Then there is a spectre that is often seen. It runs around parts of the castle. It …..is a chicken. Apparently, it has run past some unimpeachable witnesses, for it has been seen in and around the kitchen.

"There is also a knight that is seen clanking up the stairs. Supposedly, he was mortally wounded, and was headed upstairs to his faithful wife. He made it to the fifteenth step before he fell and died.

"Moreover,there is supposedly a spirit that is seen in the library. No one knows the story of this spectre or its identity, for this poor soul has no face. Seeing it has been a harbinger of death. He or she has long robes, and a black hood. It is also silent."

"Of course. There is no mouth," Holmes whispered to Watson. Mycroft frowned, but said nothing.

" Is that all, or is there more?" asked Watson.

"Oh, there is more."

" Oh." Sherlock sat back down.

"Possess your souls in patience, there are only two more. That is beside the occurrences of fear, desperation, and just plain miasma. And there are also sinister voices. Sometimes they whisper in your ear, and nobody else can hear them." Mycroft checked his notes. "Uh, let us see, now...Ah, yes, here we are. On the back stairs, the ghost of a servant is seen. While hurrying to a tryst with his intended, he fell down those stairs and snapped his neck in a terrible thunderstorm. His ghost is said to appear only on nights when there is a thunderstorm."

"And last, but not least, we have an amorous ghost. She is supposedly the ghost of a daughter of joy who was murdered by her partner in a dispute over her fee. Sometimes she 'welcomes' the guests. I will leave just how she does this to your imaginations. All the information you need is in this file, and I wish you the best of luck."

As they followed James back to the hansom, Watson wondered if they would need any luck. They were taken back to Baker Street. James told them that he would come back for them at nine-thirty the next morning, and would take them to the castle, where they were expected.

If you want to follow the adventures of our favorite detective to the next story, it is titled 'A Ghost of a Chance'.

I hope you enjoy it.


End file.
